


Don't Need No Superman

by marlikestoread



Category: One Direction
Genre: AU, Depression, Domestic Fluff, F/M, Fluff, Louis is pushy, Louis likes playing matchmaker, M/M, Minor Character Death, Niall's an adorable little shit, Panic Attacks, Past Child Abuse, Sad Zayn, Smut, Zayn's a little shy, larry stylinson - Freeform, superhero au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-07-11
Updated: 2015-08-15
Packaged: 2018-04-08 17:56:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,446
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4314801
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/marlikestoread/pseuds/marlikestoread
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Zayn's okay with his life of being a News Reporter by day, Superhero by night. He has three friends to get him through it. But when his past (an ugly past) starts to catch up with him he ends up needing the guy who he'd least expect. Liam Payne a fellow News Reporter who specializes in writing articles about Mindwave...or Zayn.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Hey...I hope you like it!

"This is great," Zayn says intertwining his finger's with his boyfriend "Literally the most perfect thing I've ever done in my life."

They were seated in Coffee Shop just sitting there, with each other. It didn't matter that they weren’t at a fancy restaurant neither of them could afford. It didn't matter that they weren’t even seated in a nice part of London. Actually there was a homeless guy across the street that mooned them like five minutes ago. But Zayn was with Kyle and that was all that really mattered.

"Yeah," he grins warmly at Zayn and still after six months of this relationship the easy grin could make things twist up in his stomach, "I never see you anymore."

"I'm sorry," Zayn frowns feeling really guilty about the situation

"I know why," he smiles, "And god does it make you sexy."

Zayn snorts and rolls his eyes "God you’re a pig sometimes, but your my pig."

"Yeah…well you know we may see each other more often if maybe, you know maybe it's time we move in together?"

Zayn's eyes widen because for a second he can't believe that Kyle really just asked that "Seriously!"

"That's okay to ask right!" his eyes go wide, "I mean-"

"Yes it's okay to ask you donut, we've been dating for a year. And I'd do pretty much anything to get away from for annoying flatmates."

"You know there not annoying," he says softly, "They took you in when you were sixteen."

"Yeah," Zayn says. He was right. They could be really amazing and fun and caring at times, but they could also be a hassle to live with "I can't always-"

Of course Harry takes that exact moment to pop in. Harry Styles one of Zayn's flatmates. A superhero also with the power to teleport. He always managed to pop in on Zayn at really bad moments like when Zayn was naked or when he was having a really good date with his really awesome boyfriend.

"Emergency," his eyes wide and he was speaking faster than normal (usually he reminded Zayn of what a turtle would sound like if he could talk), "Big emergency. There's like three bombs around town. Niall's freezing one of them and it's working and Zayn plans on absorbing one and I don't know how to defuse a bomb do you-"

"I can figure it out," Zayn assures turning to his boyfriend and giving him a small apologetic smile before stating, "Stay here. I'll be back in like a half an hour tops."

He smiles, "Be careful."

"I-" but before Zayn could finish Harry's already grabbed Zayn's hand and they were in another part of London right in front of a ticking time bomb with less than five minute left. Zayn flips up his hood realizing he wouldn't have time to change into his normal hero get-up (not that he's complaining). He goes down kneeling in front of the bomb and taking a wary look.

"Who is he!" I hear someone gruff say.

"It's okay it's Mind Wave. He can defuse the bomb," Zayn hears Harry explain.

"She's not in uniform."

Really?

"Does it look like she had time to change?" Harry retorts.

"Okay concentrate Zayn…" Zayn mumbles placing his hands on the bomb. 

Think.

Zayn's a mind reader meaning he can also detect emotional traces left by people, sometimes even thoughts and conversations if he concentrates hard enough. He's hoping the last few people who touched the bomb actually know how to defuse the bomb.

"Okay," Zayn mumbles blinking because with his powers often comes a gigantic migraine he than raises his voice, "I need some clippers."

Two minutes had already passed shit. Zayn feels someone place the clippers in my awaiting hand and someone (Harry probably) give me a reassuring pat on the shoulder.

Green wire.

Red wire.

Yellow wire.

The bomb stops ticking and something in the bottom pops out like a drawer. People cheer but Zayn doesn't yet because the timer may be off doesn't mean there isn't another threat. I grab the note and look at it carefully.

IT reads one thing, "Elmers Way."

Elmers Way.

The same Elmers Way a Coffee Shop at a corner sat at. The same Elmers Way where a blond hair blue eyed boy with the name Kyle sat at.

The very street Zayn just left his boyfriend on.

Fuck.

Zayn stands up turning to Harry in a panic, "Harry teleport me back to Kyle."

"Wh-"

"Do it now!"

Harry taps Zayn's shoulder and in a mere second he's not on the street anymore but in a raging fire. By instict Zayn's shield is already up and he watches go so close to himself but not reach.

When the fire dims out Zayn looks across the street to the building where the Coffee Shop once stood. It was smoking and crumbled in rubble. Zayn's running moving rubble out of the way with his mind hoping to find the best not registering that in this situation he can only find the worst.

A scream bubbles in the back of Zayn's throat that never quite reaches human ears.

He hears sirens.

Away Zayn needs to get away from here. So he turns around flipping his hood back up and walking the three blocks back to the apartment coughing up smoke the whole way.

Kyle was dead.

The boy Zayn loved was dead.

IT was his fault, it was Zayn's fault.

He walks the long seven stories up to his flat. The door was unlocked per usual, and it was a good thing, because Zayn didn't remember his key.

When the door swings open he hears whoops of joy.

Louis is rushing towards Zayn ready to hug him and celebrate with him like he always does. But this time he stops dead in his track and Niall who also made it home approaches behind him carefully.

Zayn's eyes burn and he doesn't he's been crying until he touches a hand to his cheek and feels wetness.

"Zayn…love…what's-" Louis is cut off by a sudden Breaking News Report.

And they see the bomb's ruin they see the broken block through the small screen.

"Kyle," Zayn managed to blubber out, "Kyle he…"

Harry pops in before I can finish and he's already wrapped his arms tight around Zayn. Usually Zayn would deny hugs and cuddles from the other boys because he was too macho for that kind of stuff (occasionally they persuaded him in because he actually didn't mind that kind of stuff). But this time he just let his weight sag and let Harry support his weight and he buried his face into Harry's chest because he just wanted this sudden pain to go away.

"What's going on?" Niall asks. And he sounds so young. Zayn always forgets sometimes that they're all children really barely in there early twenties.

"Kyle was in the bomb," Harry says sounding funny and Zayn realizes he's probably crying too. Kyle was all there friends. He was Niall's friend since childhood.

"He…he looked so horrible," Zayn blubbers out not in quite control of his words as his stone cold face invades his mind, "There-…so much blood."

"I know," Harry mumbles into Zayn's hair just squeezing tighter, "I know."


	2. 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SECOND POST! Whooo! And it's a real long chapter!

Louis floats right past Zayn's window sometime around Lunch. He's too engrossed in his article to notice him (and he imagines Louis was talking full advantage of that by making him look like an utter fool). Of course Liam who sits in the desk next to him does and he makes a point of pointing it out to Zayn.

"Holy shit!" Liam says, "It's Black Fire!"

Zayn looks at Liam that at his mask clad friend not even bothering to send him a telepathic message just glaring. Louis smirked but then flew off. Louis must have had a lunch break from medic training and took the chance to show off. The ass.

"Yup," Zayn says going back to his work.

"Black Light just flew by…and you just say…yup!" Liam says.

"Yeah," Zayn rolls my eyes, "Suppose I just did."

"Your kidding-that Black Light!"

"And?" Zayn gave a sideways glance to Liam who looked close to passing out from excitement. It's not the first time he's seen this type of reaction. He just figured Liam would be mundane enough not to…freak like he is. It's Liam-the guy who goes to the gym to much. The guy who writes articles about sports. 

"And these guys are straight out of the comics! I don't know if you haven't traveled outside of London or something but these types of things aren't normal! They're extraordinary!"

"Yeah okay Liam," Zayn mumbles turning back to writing his article about how the fast food industry was putting more and more small restaurants out a business and bad for the economy. It was a boring topic.

Liam scoffs, "Okay Zayn. You want to go out for drinks later, I've lived in London for six months and I haven't really found any good pubs…how long have you lived here Zayn?"

That was a fast change of topic.

"Since I was sixteen-so like six years now," Zayn doesn’t look away from his computer.

"Know any good pubs?"

"Suppose I do know a few," Zayn says, "But I don't have much time after work. No one in my flat goes grocery shopping so I have to drop by the store on the way home-and I have some at home articles I need to write."

"Oh," Liam looks disappointed, "Okay. Just my mum and me were talking and she's been pushing me to make friends and…I really just don't have any friends 'cept you right now."

Zayn sorts of feels bad because he knows the feeling of loneliness. Or at least he knew the feeling of loneliness when he was fifteen and ran away to London from home (because London was just a great place to run away too).

"Maybe another time Liam," Zayn states, "Why don't you just ask someone else around here?"

"Because everyone else around here is mean."

"I don't exactly disserve the award for being nice," Zayn spins in his chair and smirks, "If you haven't noticed."

"Well your nicer-and your actually my age. And you talk to me…sort of…" Liam states.

Zayn raises an eyebrow and can't deny that Liam wasn't his friend. Liam was in fact the only guy around here that was close to Zayn's age. They were both the newbie's meaning people honestly didn't take much a liking to them, and disregarded there skills. And both did the boring stupid articles. Not that Zayn was complaining or anything, it was his dream to work for this newspaper, the best of the best in London.

He also had to admit that Liam was the only decent person here. Well Liam was a little beyond decent. Zayn's pretty sure he spent his childhood saving cat's from trees or something. And he was always respectful and nice, even when people were treating him like utter crap. Zayn supposes he's going down the whole kill them with kindness road. Sure Zayn isn't disrespectful to his boss Gregory (who only knows how to scream at people) he isn't in the mood for getting fired. But it's not like he goes around complementing his tie or asking how his day is too like Liam. And Zayn also has to admit he's not bad on the eyes muscular with a few tattoo's and shortish hair.

Zayn likes Liam he really does, but he doesn't need anymore friends. Three is more than enough.

Zayn ends up not replying to Liam just rolling his eyes and going back to working Liam huffs something under his breath but then hears him complement a girl a few desks over…Jan about her hair.

He than hears gunfire.

Someone grabs his shoulder and pulls him under the desk before Zayn can even react and he turns towards Liam just as his bum hits the hard floor with an uncomfortable thud.

"Fuck," murmur's Zayn sticking his head to look around the desk and see what's going on.

A gun men approaches them on of five and Zayn's boss Gregory is ushered out of his office held by gunpoint by another.

"Out from under the desks in a circle!" the man gruffly orders hoarding the office workers into a circle into the middle of the room.

He catches sight of the gunmen and slowly and carefully thinks you can't see me.

The gunman blinks confused and Zayn slips away through people hurrying into the back bathrooms. He keeps his suit under his clothes (as cliché as that is it's actually sort of helpful) and throws on the mask that was in his pocket slipping out a minute after he came in.

"I said delete the article GREGORY! This is your last warning or the shot goes into the pretty ladies head!"

"You can't threaten me with my workers!" Gregory snarls, "Workers are replaceable!"

"Oh well how about we just threaten you too!" the main gunmen grabs Gregory and digs the guns barrel into the side of Gregory's head. Gregory's eyes show an uncharacteristic mount of fear.

"Let them go!" Zayn yells.

He admits it wasn't his best idea. He's not smart and practical like Harry is most of the time. He could of handled it so much better. But eh…he's human-or at least he thinks he's human.

"It's Mindwave!" someone yells.

Probably Liam.

"Shoot the sucker!" one yells.

Before Zayn can react there's bullets flying at him and he manages to deflect most but he misses one to his left and feels a sudden burn to his side. He knows the difference between getting shot and grazed so he takes no big mind to it and only winces throwing the guns out of the shooters hands (and thinking back to it, it should have been what he did first, but he honestly wasn't thinking. And why not put on a show for everyone else). 

The guys rush forward but one by one there all thrown back into desks and walls and chairs, and people were cheering, and the police were running in which was his cue to slowly slip away as things went into there normal crime scene chaos.

Slipping back on his clothes eh went to his desk grabbing his computer and brief case ignoring the sting in his side intending on just going home.

"ZAYN!"

Liam.

Zayn turns around pleased at least that Liam wasn't hurt but slightly annoyed that he was getting spoken too. 

"Mindwave-you have to admit at least he was awesome!" Liam gushes.

"Yeah sure okay," Zayn moves to push past his friend or whatever Liam really was.

"Zayn your bleeding!"

"Oh," Zayn goes putting his hand on the wound to cover it making sure that Liam dind't see that there was no hole in his shirt (showing that he wasn't actually in these clothes when he got grazed), "Yeah one of the stray bullets grazed me, going to head home."

"Shit!" Liam says, "There's Ambulances here- I can bring you too one. Or drive you to the hospital myself!"

Zayn waves him off, "My roommates a medic," (or training to be one at least), "And my apartments next door to this building. Be a waste of time and money."

"Oh-okay, but promise me if it gets really bad you'll go to the hospital or call me to bring you to the doctor?"

Zayn simply rolls his eyes but why not humor Liam, "Okay."

Zayn starts the short treck home stumbling into his apartment tiredly unbuttoning his shirt with ease and grabbing a paper towel pressing it to his short gash with a hiss. It wasn't bad, and it could wait a few hours until Louis got home to be stitched up. (Or at least he think it could wait, he wasn't an expert on bleeding wounds) So he just sat down on his couch letting his muscles relax and leaning his head back to close his eyes when he hears a rather loud, "Christ Zayn your going to get blood all over the cushions!"

Zayn realizes he hadn't heard the front door open and he opens his eyes just at the same times his best friend is grabbing his arm and pulling him to the kitchen counter instructing him to sit while he rummages the cupboards for the first aid kit, "Were you going to call and tell me you were hurt at all! Your lucky that I saw the news report and watched as the bullet hit you."

"Grazed," Zayn corrects with a quiet mumble.

"Whatever," Louis grabs the soaked towel, "Did you ever think sometimes, you would have probably bled at a dangerous rate by the time I got home. Your lucky they didn't need me for the last few hours of training."

Zayn just rolls his eyes.

"Well…." Zayn starts to go to work in stitching the ripped apart skin back together.

"Well what?" Zayn says.

"You goanna tell me why you didn't call me to tell me you were hurt?"

"Cause' your not my mum and I don't need a kiss on a head and a piece of candy," Zayn says, "Well then again my mum never did that either-"

"Zayn," Louis says and it sounds somewhat like a whine, "Please, don't do this again."

"Do what?"

"Pretend you don’t need help when your bleeding out from a big gash caused by a bullet."

"Okay."  
***

"For Christ sake Zayn!" Harry says ,"You could have thrown the guns out of there hands before, making your presence know. Or you could have-"

"Don't," I say, "I know you have just about five other ways-"

"That you could have avoided getting shot," Harry continues to stir the meal he was making," yeah I do. Because I took a moment and thought about it and-"

"But if I hesitated people could have gotten hurt!"

"People did get hurt you little fucker, you got shot!" Louis snaps crossing his arms.

Zayn was glad Niall hadn't returned home yet from his work, because Niall doesn't like yelling-or crying. Or any other emotion besides happiness and excitement. And Louis has been yelling the whole two hours he's been here. And Zayn's been yelling an equal amount and even Harry's voice is raising by the second. And Harry hardly raised his voice so Zayn knew this was only going to get worse. He just hoped Harry would get the screaming match out of his system before Niall would get home. Because then Niall would get all teary eyed and…

"Christ," Zayn says practically shaking with anger now. He didn't know why he was so angry. He knew Louis and Harry were just worried, he just didn't like that they worried, "I don't need you two scolding me like a couple of parents."

"Well you've had lack of real good parents in your life so I think you really do need a good scolding," Louis states he than glares and adds, "At least we're not beating you."

Zayn feels his blood turn to ice because, Louis didn't just go there. Louis knows that's a low blow for Zayn. Almost as low as bringing Kyle into an argument.

Almost.

"Louis," Zayn hears Harry say warningly but he's already grabbed his coat and pack of cigarettes, "Zayn where are you going!"

"Out," Zayn says keeping his voice surprisingly even.

"Where?"

"I don't know," Zayn admits, "Don't wait up for me."

"Zayn," Louis sounds close to whining now, "You know I didn't-"

"You did," Zayn says opening the door, "Don't fucking deny it."

Zayn hopes the visible slam of the door would be good enough for Louis to get the clue and not follow him.

Zayn makes it outside when he realizes that he truly has no fucking idea where he was going to go, and on a split second decision he's whipped out his phone and is finding Liam's contact information and calling him. Liam picks up on the first ring with an excited, "Zayn, hey!"

"Hey," Zayn struggles to light his cigarette one handed, "You still want to go to a pub?"

"Yeah," (Zayn can tell Liam's trying to act chill about this and is epically failing), "I'd love too."

"Good, I'll text you the address."

Zayn doesn't wait for the reply before he hangs up.

***  
Liam get's there remarkably fast and Zayn sort of wonders if Liam rushed to get there. Even then Zayn got there five minutes before Liam because the pub was just across the street. Liam gives him a good-natured grin before sitting down across from Zayn.

"Ordered us a pint to share, don't plan on getting to plastered…" Zayn warns, "You can order more if ya want."

"Pints fine for now," Liam says, "I don't actually drink a lot, I only have one kidney and I can't get properly drunk without it being dangerous."

Zayn nods, "Sucks, I don't mind getting drunk every once an awhile to forget."

"Forget about what? Gregory? Who almost let Jan get shot in the head today without hesitation because she's replaceable?"

Zayn shrugs. No he tends to drink to forget about the death of his boyfriend. And his sucky childhood. And a few other memorable things he's seen in his lifetime.

"What changed your mind?" Liam asked, "I honestly thought you were bullshitting me about taking me up on the offer later."

"I was," Zayn admits, "But my flat mates were being twats."

"I'm happy I don't have flat mates anymore. I did when I lived back home and it was horrible, they never cleaned after themselves, and they were rude-"

"Oh no-they're usually pretty awesome. I've lived with them for six years. They're like my brothers but they can be a little frustrating time to time."

"Really? Since you've been sixteen, your parents were okay with that."

Zayn can't blame it on the alcohol but for some reason Liam seemed to be easy to talk to, "Ran away when I was fourteen, never seemed to try to find me, so no-doubt they care."

Liam ducks his head down for a moment at his pitcher of alcohol but then looks up, "Sorry I didn't mean to-"

"'S fine, I'm over it." (he wasn't).

"Are all your roommates runaways or-"

"No, they just helped me when I really needed it. Got me a job, got me into uni. Eventually, I got myself the job at the newspaper. Owe a lot to them."

"Can see why you call them brothers," Liam smiles fondly.

"Well I'd also say we all think of each other like brothers. But Harry and Louis are in mad love…"

Liam snorts, "Why'd you run away-wait no sorry overstep-"

Zayn shakes his head and smiles a little, "'S okay, I half brought it up. My dad didn't like that I was gay…" (he also didn't like that Zayn started to move things with his mind), "It's alright that I'm gay right, doesn't make things weird?"

"No," Liam says chuckling, "Have a pretty good gaydar, I'm Bi myself."

"Really…you seem-"

"Straight a shit," Liam smiles again, "Get that a lot."

Zayn smirks, "So what makes me seem so gay."

"Well for one thing in the six months that I've known you, you haven't mentioned one relationship. And your fucking pretty, so it doesn't even add up."

Did Liam just call him pretty?

"Nah…just don't look for relationships much," Zayn says, "Nothin' to do with my sexual orientation."

He hasn't been into anyone in eight months. He's still into Kyle. He's still in love with the dead guy.

Liam doesn’t push it, he even changes topic, and Zayn's glad because he really doesn't think he can talk about Kyle. Especially with a practical stranger.

Liam's really easy to talk to. Which is weird because Zayn actually doesn't talk to people a lot. And Zayn thought he knew Liam, but he also realized he doesn't really know Liam. He's sat next to him for six months but he doesn't know that he has two older sisters who are fiercely over protective or that he had one kidney. He defidenly didn't know he has a dog named Loki (which Zayn quite enjoys because before he was a living superhero he quite enjoyed Marvel comics).

Zayn tells him about his three roommates (minus the whole power superhero group thing) and talks about how Harry and Louis are madly in love with each other and Niall's madly in love with food. Zayn jokes that he's the spare tire in this situation. 

(Oh well Zayn found it funny and he thinks Liam laughed just to please him)

IT's around Twelve-Thirty when he tiredly stumbles back into the flat. He wasn't drunk slightly buzzed because he drank most of the three pints that Liam and him ordered (Liam still insisted on paying for half even though Zayn found it absurd). Niall was in front of the Telly watching the news eating. 

He turns his head and leaps up, "Zayn!"

Zayn rolls his eyes and moves to sit next to the blond hair boy who immediately scoots close nuzzling himself in Zayn's arm like some sort of cat. Zayn can't push Niall away because he's Niall and he's just different from the rest, "Hey," Zayn mumbles running a hand through Niall's blond tipped locks, "Your freezing."

"You feel like you've been cooking in an oven," comments Niall, "And I'm always cold, you know this."

Zayn shrugs.

"Louis is really sorry," Niall says, "He and Harry were just really worried."

"I know," Zayn says.

He doesn't, because Louis was right, maybe Zayn needed to get hit around.

"I was worried too," Niall nuzzles his face into Zayn's neck, "Don't like it when any of you get hurt."

"Sorry for worrying you, but you didn't have to be worried…" Zayn comments.

"Yeah I do-and they did too. We're family, family does that."

"Okay," Zayn agrees. (but let me do all the worrying about you guys. It'll just make me feel better).

He doesn't say that.

"Can I sleep with you tonight?"

"Yeah," Zayn already picking up Niall by the waist and Niall just wraps around him, "'Course."

Niall always needs the assurance when one of them gets hurt. If it were Harry or Louis he'd just climb in-between them at night. He's a worried wart, and acts young. Harry and Niall are a year younger than Zayn, (although Harry hardly acts it). Niall always acts it, and Zayn imagines this is what it would be like if his younger siblings actually wanted his love an attention. And didn't think he was a freak like the rest of the family. He also knows Niall's parents were killed right in front of him. And the thought of anyone else he loves getting hurt crushes him. He was a mess after Kyle, almost as big of a mess as Zayn was.

Zayn also thinks he wants to care for people like they were all there younger siblings so that's why he lets Niall sleep with him when he gets scared even though Niall makes Zayn cold.

It doesn't matter because it makes Zayn's heart warm.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please, tell me what you think! <3


	3. Chapter 3

Zayn shivers looking over the rooftop. It was an honestly magnificent view. Almost in the middle of the city. So whatever direction he turned he had a view of dazzling lights. Too bad the sun went down a half an hour ago, because it'd be loads more enjoyable if he wasn't freezing his ass off. He needs a suit that's a lot warmer and a lot more thick. He reminds himself to talk to Lou about it next time he see's her. Or tell Harry to ask Lou about it because Harry's there one a weekly basis babysitting her daughter Lux.

"Tell me what I'm doing here again? Nothing is happening?" Zayn comments dryly.

"Your watching for anything odd, " Louis grumps, "and listening in every once and awhile on people's thoughts. The police says they trust the source who told them about the possible bank heist."

It's easy for Louis to say that. He's sitting in there living room surrounding by food and friends and warmness. He has a blanket and a heater at his disposal. Zayn doubts he's feeling the harsh wind.

"But what if they got the wrong day…or the tip is just playing a joke. Or the source isn't really reliable and the police men are pulling our leg because there bitter we do this job better than them…."

"Or what if you go home get in your nice cozy bed and miss a bank robbery to one of the biggest banks in London Zayn? How about that?"

Zayn makes an annoyed noise in the back of his throat, because Louis was right, "'M sorry I just don't like the cold."

Reminds him of the times his father would get so fed up with him he'd kick him out of the house for the night in the middle of winter.

"I know," Louis says (he really doesn't but Zayn likes to think he does) , "And if anyone was better at surveying area's I'd send you. But sadly no one else can read minds and find out if people were suspicious."

"Yeah, yeah… it's just that no one is around. There's no one's mind to read for me to see if there suspicious or not."

"Are you sure…just check the area again-"

"I don't need to check I'd no if someone got in the area. It's so quiet around here it's ridiculous. Would be sort of nice if I wasn't freezing my arse off."

Zayn was just a little bit grumpy today. He'd woken up late and gotten to work late only to find out he wasn't suppose to go to work because there was an ongoing investigation about the robbers and they weren’t allowed into the building yet. No one told him about it of course. (it's not like he had a lot of co workers as friends). He sends a text out to Liam about it to make sure he doesn't suffer the same fate only to find out Liam's already heard from Jake. Apparently everyone heard from Jake except Zayn.

Fuck Jake, he thought these kind of excluding things only happened in high school.

He spent the rest of the day lounging around the flat, absolutely bored out of his mind. For once when he was free and wanting some sort of crime to stop nothing happens, then of course when the sun goes down and the day turns late. They get a stupid call from the police.

The police who love them one day and hate them the next, it depends honestly on how much paperwork they have to do in the end.

"Okay…okay. If nothing happens at eleven we'll call it-" Louis suddenly goes alarmingly silent and Zayn vaguely hears Niall's voice in the background, "Wait…wait. Niall's saying something about the motion sensors in the bank. There's someone in there."

"No…that's impossible." Zayn says, "The only things open are the ATM's that’s impossible, I don't hear anyone."

"Maybe your powers broken or maybe they have metal hats or something on…"

"I can hear through Metal Louis," Zayn rolls his eyes at his friends annoying nature.

"Whatever just check it out," Louis says, "'M sending Harry and Niall to wait outside of the bank in case things get messy."

"They won't get messy because I'm telling you no ones inside…"

Why couldn't have been my night to sit behind the computers and look all pretty? Zayn thinks shivering as he floats down and goes to the front of the bank. Besides the lights illuminating the ATM's for night use, the bank's completely dark. 

He goes to the front door not expecting it to open and ready to ask just how Louis expects him to investigate the damn bank when the door surprisingly swing's open.

What the hell?

"Louis," Zayn presses against his earpiece, "Front doors opening with no problem. How does the lock system for the building works."

"It's a code," Louis says. Zayn's eyes trail on the key pad, "Only person with the code is the manager. And you just need to type in the code once and everything's unlocked except the Safe. They're got to be someone in there, Zayn."

"But I don't hear anyone's thoughts…"

Louis huffs, "Well I'd tell you to wait for Harry and Niall but I doubt your going to listen to me."

"Nope," Zayn swings the door open, "It's fucking dark in here… you'd think they'd at least turn the lights on."

"If they one upped you into figuring out how to stop you from hearing your thoughts, you really think they were going to signal that they were in the building by turning the lights on?"

Zayn huffs and faintly hears Louis yell off the headset, "Niall put your fucking pants on Zayn's being a reckless idiot again."

He's about to defend himself and say he's not being a reckless idiot when there's a sudden white flash behind his eyes and his scull feels like it’s about to crack.

Then black.

***

"Zayn? Babe? Can you hear me?"

Zayn feels like he's about to throw up. There's a dull throb behind his head lined up with his heartbeat. His mouth feels dry and sort of tastes like a skunk died in it. His limbs feel like jello.

He opens his eyes and can barely see a mop of curly hair and a masked face in the dim lighting. The hard surface he's on diffidently isn't a bed.

"Yeah," Zayn manages, "What happened?"

"Hold on-"

"Nialler?" Harry suddenly calls making Zayn wince.

"Sorry…sorry," Harry mumbles.

"Guessing by the wide open safe, I'd say whoever was in here is long gone with a large sum of cash…" Zayn hears Niall's voice trail from somewhere to the left.

There's a sudden wail of sirens which makes Zayn wince, and he's remembering now. The motion sensors going of. Walking into the bank. Then a sudden blackness. Like one moment he was standing and the next he was on the floor. It was honestly the weirdest feeling. 

"What happened?" Harry asks. Zayn's head is carefully placed in his lap, "Did the guy hit you over the head or something."

"There'd have to be a bump or a head wound," Niall crouches on his left side examining him.

"Don't remember…was just standing there and…then…" Zayn groans because his head fucking hurts, "Feels like I got hit over the head."

"Okay," Harry says, "Well since you don't remember anything you don't exactly have much information. I assume you'd rather not talked to the cops?"

"Not particularly," Zayn mumbles feeling drowsy and like he swallowed a dose of Cough Syrup.

"Cool, I don't either. M' sure they can connect the same dots we did," Harry grabs onto Niall elbow and puts a firm hand on Zayn's shoulder and suddenly they're no longer in the bank but instead there bright lit living room. With a TV blasted almost full volume.

He winces and he feel's Harry's hands on his temples massaging lightly.

He hears someone fumble over the remote and Harry softly instructs Louis to turn the lights off.

Eventually there in the dark and in almost complete silence besides the light thrums of the other three's minds slipping through the cracks. Usually he does his best not to listen to the other's thoughts and they're usually small hum's of sound. But now they were larger hums of sounds and random words were peaking through making Zayn' wince more and turn his head burying his face in Harry's leg.

"You alright?" Louis eventually asks, "What happened?"

"Found him passed out cold on the floor of the bank. Someone was inside there. He doesn't appear to have any head injury's…"

"Think," Zayn mumbles, "Think it's someone like me."

"What?" Niall says a little too loud. He notices the grimace in Zayn's face and lowers his voice giving Zayn an apologetic look and pat on the knee, "Is it possible for two people to have the same power. Thought powers were like snowflakes or something."

Niall, Harry and Louis weren’t the only people in London with powers. There were a few dozen actually. All with different powers ranging from shape shifting to fire manipulation. But Zayn's never met two people with the same exact powers.

"That's only a theory," Harry confirms, "I mean maybe it's like the whole doppelganger theory. You see those weird news story's about two people who look exactly the same but have no relation to each other."

"Would explain why I didn't hear them," Zayn says, "It would also explain this."

"What is this?" Louis sounds sort of impatient, but Zayn knows he's just worried.

"Nothing deadly," Zayn mumbles, "I've done it before, twice."

"How would you know what it feels like," Harry asks softly, "That doesn't make sense."

Zayn doesn't answer. Zayn likes to say he's always been strong and defiant. That when he ran away from home he only felt freedom. But the year on the streets before finding Louis, Harry and Niall was sort of horrible. After he ran away he'd hoped someone would find him, or at least hope. But after some research he honestly had no reason to believe it was true.

So he sort of hated himself for it.

Thought that since no one else cared why should he.

He had good control over his powers why couldn't he just shut his own brain down. The end result was only a few days of immense pain, but no final release. 

The second time he did it was the day of Kyle's funeral. He was just so miserable and eh wasn't thinking straight. His powers were loads stronger. But it just didn’t work.

Everyone expected he was just so far in grief they didn't notice the difference of him grieving and him being in actual pain.

"'M tired," Zayn ends up saying sitting up slightly, "It's late and I have work tomorrow."

He let's Harry help him to bed because he knows it'll make the curly boy better, and also because he knows Harry has more questions.

He doubts they're going to let go of the fact that Zayn already knows what the feeling of practically mind blasting someone feels like. But before he explains that he has to figure out what to say and how to say it without sounding to harsh (for Niall's sake at least).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wow... sorry it took so long to update this... and sorry its really sort... Anyways, I'd love to hear what you all think.

**Author's Note:**

> So, hope you like the prologue, later chapters should be a lot longer! Please tell me what you think so far!


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